Pianissimo device.



W. G. BETZ. PIAEISSIMO DEVICE. urmonxon rum) N0V.BL1B07.

Patented May 19, 1909.

Fig-1 INVENTOR: William G B217:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.WILLIAM G. BETZ, OF NEWCASTLE. lNDlANA, ASBIGNOR T RAY PIANO LOMP -XNY,OF NEW- ASTLE, INDIANA, (UPARTXERSHIP PIANISSIMO DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May is, 1909.

To all 'who'm it may concern:

Be It known that I, WILLIAM G. Bn'rz, of

Newcastle, county of Henry, and State of Indiana, have invented acertain new and useful Pianissimo Device; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer tolike parts.

The object of this invention is to rovide an improved means for takingup the 0st motion when the soft pedal isactuated, or for pianissimopurposes, This causes the iano action to be easily operated, especia yin pneumatic pianos, and, therefore, the work of the pneumatic action orof the performer on finger keys will be considerably less and the effectof movement of the keys on the piano action more certain, sudden andsensitive than in similar constructions heretofore knovn.

I do not wish to limit my invention to use in connection with pneumaticianos, although it probably of more value m such a piano than in theordinary finger key piano.

The various features of my invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawin? and the followin description and claims.

.n the drawings igure 1 is a vertical section through the upper portionof a piano, the lower ortion being broken away and the parts of t e.piano action in an unoperated position. Fig. 2 is substantially the sameshowing the parts operated and parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is adetail view of the part illustrating the lost motion mechanism, thenormal unoperated position being shown by full lines and the operatedposition being shown by dotted lines.

There is shown in the drawings a sounding board 10 at the back of thepiano with stri s 11 thereon. There is also a key bed 12 wit a balancerail 13 having center pins 14 on which the piano kevs 15 are mounted. Atthe inner end of the key there is a capstan 16.

Action 'brackets 17 are mounted vertically above the key bed and nearthe lower end of said brackets there is a transverse flan e rail 18 fromwhich the flange 19 extends ownwardl to which a connecting bar 20 ispivoted t at extends forwardly and downwardly, and its front end ispivoted to the lower portion of the sticker. 21. The sticker isvertically moved by the capstan on the key 15..

56 The action rail 23 is secured transversely of the brackets 17, and aflange 24 extends downwardly therefrom to which a wippen 25 is pivotedbetween its ends. .Said wippen 25 is not, as usual, directly connectedwith the sticker 21, but instead is pivoted upon the lost motion lever26 between its ends, and said'lever at its rear end is fulcrumed inupwardly extending arms 27 from the sticker, said arms projectingupwardly behind a shoulder 28 at the upper end of the sticker on which acushion 29 is mounted. The fulcrum point of the wippen 25 upon the lostmotion lever 26 is substantially over the vertical center of the sticker21, and said lever 26 rests normally upon the upper end of the stickerso that the vertical movements of the sticker are transmitted directlyto the wippen, but when the soft edal is used, the vertical motion ofthe stic or is transmitted to the wippen 25 throu h the vertical arms 27on the sticker and t e lost motion lever 26, as shown by dotted lines inFig. 3. When the soft pedal is operated the vertical rod 30 elevates thelost motion bar 31 that is pivoted to the brackets 17 by rods 32.

A jack flan e 41 extends upward from the rocker 25 in a inc about midwaybetween the fulcrum point between the wippen and lost motion lever 26and the fulcrum point between the lost motion lever and the arms 27 atthe upper end of the sticker. Thus it is seen that instead of thesticker transmitting its motion directly to the wippen, as in pianoactions heretofore, in my im roved construction there is a lost motionever inter osed between the sticker and wippen, an said lever iscontrolled and moved by the lost motion bar, which is actuated. by thesoft pedal.

As arranged herein, when the soft edal is not used, the motion from thesticker t rough the lost motion lever and the wippen is almost as directand immediate as in the constructions heretofore, for then the wippen isdown upon the shoulder 28 of the sticker, but. whent e soft pedal isoperated, the forward end of the lost motion lever is elevated, and thenthe motion of the sticker is transmitted through the arms 27 and lever26 circuitously to the wi pen.

What claim as m invention and desire to secure'by Letters atc 1' is:

1. An upright piano action including a sticker having at its upper end arearwardly and upwardly extending arm so as to leave a shoulder at theup or end of the sticker in front of said arm, a ost-motion leverpivoted at its'rear end in said arm and adapted to rest normally on saidshoulder, pianissimo mechanism for elevating the front end of said lostmotion lever, and a wippen pivoted to said lost motion lever at a point1n vertical alinement with said sticker.

2. An upright piano action including a sticker having at its upper end arearwardly and u wardly extending arm so as to leave a shoulder at theup er end of the sticker in front of said arm, a 0st motion leverpivoted at its rear end in said arm and adapted to rest normally on saidshoulder, pianissimo 15 mechanism for elevating the front end of saidlost motion lever, a wippen pivoted to said lost motion lever at a pointin vertical alinement with said. sticker, and a jack fulcrumed to theWippen at a point in vertical alinement 20 with the sticker.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signaturi in the presenceof the witnesses herein name;

WILLIAM G. BETZ. Witnesses OLIVE BREEDEN, N. ALLEMONG.

